María Eugenia Garces Echavarria
We proudly celebrate twenty years of philanthropic commitment in honor of our parents, Alvaro Garces Giraldo and Alice Echavarria Olozaga. Throughout the last two decades, we have made a significant imprint on our community. From our first program – Casas Francisco Esperanza (Francisco Hope Homes), dedicated to building peace – to our most recent projects in the categories of enhanced civic action, income generation, reflection and dialogue, education and culture, we have worked tirelessly to support regional development. Replication of successful projects, such as the Civic Prize for a Better City, have demonstrated our commitment to innovation and progress.
We gratefully remember events such as the International Symposium for Restorative Justice and Peace in Colombia, held in 2005 with participation of Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It furthered incorporation of restorative justice processes in Colombia´s Justice and Peace Law. The 2009 International Symposium for Microfinance and Peacebuilding became the foundational cornerstone for Colombia´s Association of Microfinance Institutions.
Our commitment is also materialized in projects such as Tecnocentro Cultural Somos Pacífico (“We are the Pacific” Technocenter), a living space for social transformation in eastern Cali. Rumbo Joven (Youth on Course), a program focused on youth employment, has generated job opportunities for young people in Cali. Abriendo Caminos (Opening Pathways), which seeks to reduce youth violence in marginal areas through conflict mediation, and Colomb!anas, a transmedia platform, giving a voice to Colombian women, have also made their marks.
In 2021, we faced challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Cali’s widespread public protests, known as the “Social Explosion”. As a result of these new realities, Compromiso Valle (Commitment to Valle) emerged. It ambitiously expanded our programs to other municipalities in the region, including Buenaventura, Palmira y Yumbo. We are especially proud of the Laboratorio de Ideación Comunitaria: ¡Del Dicho al Hecho! (Laboratory for Community Ideation: from Words to Action!), which promotes participation and creativity among community leaders.
Alvaralice Foundation extends its most sincere thanks to all our partners and allies who have been crucial to these twenty years of philanthropic commitment. Your collaboration has been essential to the Foundation’s projects and to the positive impact achieved in our community.
We thank everyone for their commitment and dedication. Let’s continue to build a humanitarian future, in which transformation and wellbeing will be our enduring legacy. To twenty more years of positive impact!